All articles tagged with #upstate new york
A pilot died after two gliders collided midair near Edinburg, New York, on Friday. One aircraft crashed in a remote wooded area, while the other landed safely at Plateau Sky Ranch Airport. The surviving pilot was uninjured and assisted in the search. The NTSB is investigating the cause of the collision.
Dominick Bianchi, a 35-year-old newlywed from East Greenbush, New York, was found dead in a wooded area on Sunday, September 13, 2026. He had been reported missing on Tuesday after leaving his home without his car, wallet, or phone. Authorities have not yet released a cause of death, though family members noted he suffered from type 1 diabetes and had recent mental health struggles. Police thanked the public for assistance in the search.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for much of upstate New York, including Jefferson and Lewis counties, in effect until 11 p.m. Wednesday for 16 counties. A tornado watch means a tornado is possible but not imminent; forecasters say the worst part of the system may stay south of Jefferson and Lewis, but damaging conditions remain possible. Residents should know safe locations (basement or interior room), stay alert for updates, and act quickly if a tornado warning is issued.
Bats are increasingly entering homes in New York’s Capital Region and Hudson Valley during their maternity season, with pest-control services seeing about a 15% rise in bat-related calls. Bats look for warm, dark places to raise their pups and can squeeze through tiny openings, turning attics and walls into shelters. While the rabies risk from bats is low, health officials urge sealing entry points and contacting local health departments or animal control if a bat is inside or there has been direct contact, noting that reports may be driven by public awareness even as bat populations are affected by white-nose syndrome.
Six confirmed measles cases and 14 presumed infections have been identified across upstate New York (Steuben, Seneca, Madison, and Allegany counties, with earlier cases in Erie) linked to a potential exposure at horse auctions. Health officials warn of high transmission in unvaccinated individuals, as CDC data show rising nonmedical vaccine exemptions ahead of the new school year.
In Elizabethtown, NY, Canadian coffee entrepreneur Luciano Frattolin was found guilty of drowning his 9-year-old daughter Melina in an Adirondacks swamp as part of a revenge plot against his ex-wife; after a short jury deliberation, he faces life in prison on second-degree murder and concealment of a body, with sentencing set for October.
Brady Harmon, father of Harper (13), Hudson (11), Gavin (10) and Gracelynn (10), whose grandmother Amy Steadman and mother Sarah Myers allegedly killed the children in a Mechanicville, NY, murder‑suicide—poisoning three and stabbing Gavin—before taking their own lives, says the killers deserve a “special place in hell.” Investigators found notes by Steadman accepting responsibility and claiming Utah abuse, and letters from Myers alleging abuse; Harmon had not seen his kids since 2019 amid a bitter custody fight. The bodies were discovered on June 23; syringes were found at Steadman’s home, and authorities say the abuse allegations could not be independently verified.
During a stunt at the Orange County Fair in Wallkill, Ana Daza Tavera, 42, fired an arrow from a crossbow toward a foam target held by Edwin Cuervo Rangel, 38, but struck his neck; Cuervo Rangel was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center in stable condition and is expected to fully recover, while police continue investigating.
A grieving father, Brady Harmon, says his four children—Harper (13), Hudson (11), and twins Gavin and Gracelynn (10)—appeared ‘happy’ during a roughly 15-minute FaceTime on June 7, as investigators probe their grandmother, Amy Steadman, in a mass poisoning that also killed the children's mother, Sarah Myers, in an upstate New York apartment. Harmon, who had recently won custody, planned to reunite with them in Utah for 60 days starting July 1 before authorities found the bodies; investigators have recovered a handwritten note and other evidence suggesting Steadman’s involvement.
An internal poll funded by Democrat Blake Gendebien shows a dead-heat in NY-21 against Republican Anthony Constantino (Gendebien 45%, Constantino 44%, 11% undecided) in a district Trump carried by 20 points in 2024. The race could become a three-way contest if ex-Republican Robert Smullen seeks the Conservative line. Stefanik is the incumbent; Constantino has Trump’s endorsement and self-funds his campaign, while Democratic politics point to primary infighting as a potential edge for them. No independent polling has been released, leaving the general election in a tight, unsettled position.
Melissa Gilbert says goodbye to her Upper West Side one-bedroom and is moving full-time to their upstate New York property as Timothy Busfield faces four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor; he has pleaded not guilty and a May 2027 trial is planned after a January raid on their Highland Lake home, while Gilbert has publicly supported him and noted she knew of prior allegations before their 2013 marriage.
Trump’s endorsement of Anthony Constantino has transformed a competitive upstate New York GOP primary into a test of the former president’s influence, pitting Constantino’s self-funded outsider bid against veteran incumbent Robert Smullen, who has strong local committee support. The race features sharp personal attacks, frequent fundraising/endorsement shifts, and parallel endorsements from national figures, as both candidates claim Trump’s backing as key to winning the seat being vacated by Elise Stefanik.
The CDC reported a case of the rare B. mayonii Lyme disease in an adult in Herkimer County, Upstate New York, last July. NYS health officials found a handful of ticks on the person’s wooded property that tested positive for the bacterium, but a broader survey of more than 1,500 ticks from 24 counties did not find it again; officials say tick-borne diseases can shift geographically over time.
A severe lake effect snowstorm is expected to hit Upstate New York, with snowfall of 2 to 3 feet and wind gusts up to 75 mph, causing dangerous travel conditions and potential power outages through New Year's Eve.
Upstate New York is experiencing a complex winter weather pattern with rain, freezing rain, high winds, and snow from today through New Year's Eve, with some areas potentially receiving over a foot of snow and facing flooding risks and power outages.